Until We Meet Again
by punkrockgrl92
Summary: Since Yuki left the academy Zero has managed to make a name for himself as a hunter but his health is declining without her blood.Although living happily with Kaname, Yuki is still struggling to accept who she really is.When a seer predicts disaster, fate brings the two of them together again.Will Zero fullfill his vow to slay Yuki or can they get over their differences?


Dropping his belongings with a heavy thud by the door, Zero Kiryuu kicked off his shoes and striped off his uniform once he reached the privacy of his dorm room, desperate to get out of the cold, wet clothes that clung to him. He was soaked from the rain, his bangs were matted to his forehead, and large droplets of water rolled off of his silver hair. He ran his hand through it in attempt to rid it of some of the moisture, but it didn't do much good.

Clad in nothing but his boxers, Zero made his way to his sloppy, unmade bed with his gun in hand and collapsed into the soft mattress with a heavy sigh. His eyes throbbed from the lack of sleep for the past few days. He let his eyes drift shut, but he knew he wouldn't be able to doze off. The unbearable burning itch in his throat and sharp hunger pains in his stomach prevented him from obtaining any sense of peace.

Opening his eyes, Zero glared up at the ceiling in frustration, his hands absently began to twirl Bloody Rose between them. He had decided to skip classes once again today because he wasn't feeling well. But then again, when did he ever? He had spent the majority of the day in the stables with Lily until classes were over and everyone went back to their dooms, then he chose to do so as well. It had been raining all day, but he didn't really mind the dreary weather; it was rather soothing. The only thing he had a problem with, was that now he was forced to stay inside, alone with all of his depressing and bitter thoughts.

It had been six long months since the day that Zero had lost one of the most precious things in his life… the sweet, trusting, innocent girl that he cared so deeply for- the girl who was Yuki Cross.

Zero's fidgeting with his gun halted and he gripped it tightly between his two hands, his knuckles turning white from the effort and his jaw tightening. The painful throbbing in his chest increased at the mere thought of her name. It wasn't even her name anymore; it was Lady Yuki Kuran now.

Yuki had betrayed him; not only did she embrace being a vampire, but she had left to be with Kaname. Zero knew could never hold a candle to Kaname in Yuki's eyes. She had _always_ preferred Kaname, and Zero had_ always_ known it. He knew that in her naïve and impressionable mind, the pureblood could do no wrong. Kaname was so condescending and conniving that it made Zero's blood boil, yet Yuki had always admired the pureblood, as if he were a saint rather than a vampire, while Zero was simply a friend she had felt sorry for. All this time, Zero had strived to protect her from vampires; meanwhile she had spent her time being helplessly infatuated with one, something he just could not understand. How could _anyone_ find cruel, blood-sucking beasts appealing?

After it was all said and done, all Zero could do was watch her go, letting bitterness and hatred consume him as she happily left Cross Academy with a smile. As far as he was concerned, they had become enemies the day she had become a vampire, and for the first time, he hated her. For the first time, he wanted to put an end to her existence, just as he did _all _vampires. He would do what he had to do no matter what, and he couldn't let anything get in the way of that, especially not his feelings. Everything that had happened between himself and Yuki didn't matter anymore; she was no longer a part of his life. And she wasn't Yuki anymore; she was a monster. Yuki, the_ real_ Yuki… was dead. The vile creature which was currently still living had devoured the innocent girl he had once known. She was now merely a beast in the form of his beloved Yuki.

He regretted letting himself get close to her. He should've known better. Or maybe he _had_ known better, he had simply failed to successfully keep a safe distance between them. No matter hard he tried, she always managed to somehow work her way in again. Only for Yuki, a soft spot had formed in his heart over the years; But the day her humanity was stripped from her, was the same day his heart hardened towards her and he let his instincts as a vampire hunter take over. Things were different now; she was a monster just like Kaname. She had turned her back on him and as far as he was concerned, the two purebloods deserved each other. But then, why did it still hurt so much?

Forcing himself to turn his thoughts to other matters, his hands began to nervously play with his gun again, twirling it between them and passing it back and forth in a futile attempt to distract himself, not only from his thoughts but the nagging pain plaguing him as well. Restless, Zero got up from his bed and began to pace the length of his room thoughtfully, gun still in hand.

The debris and rubble from the battle with Rido had been cleaned up incredibly fast and Cross Academy was already almost completely rebuilt and repaired thanks to the help of a few vampire hunters, acquaintances of the headmaster and Toga who were eager to help.

Despite everything that had happened, Zero had stayed at the academy. Why he didn't leave everything behind and start over was beyond him; the thought was very appealing, yet here he still was. Little by little, he couldn't help but notice that things were returning to the way they used to be with the exception that everything seemed much quieter and lonelier around the campus; it was less lively than it used to be. And he could never seem to shake the feeling that something, or rather, some_one_ was missing. It wasn't easy for him to reside there and he had considered leaving many times, yet for some reason he never did. But whatever was keeping him there, it didn't change the fact that it was painful to stay because every place in the school seemed to hold a bittersweet memory of the girl- no, the _vampire_ that had betrayed him.

The word 'vampire' left a bad taste in his mouth. He wished it had never happened; He wished she had never been turned. Her memory… was like a ghost, haunting him until he couldn't take it anymore. She had been kind, thoughtful, caring, and... Now she was gone.

Her sweet voice echoed in his ears and a vision of her flooded back to him as they often did.

"_I don't care if you hate me along with the rest of the night class; I won't let you give up on yourself!" Yuki's gaze was intense as she looked at him. He remembered the way her cheeks were lightly flushed and how her heart sounded as it thudded against her chest. He could tell she was nervous, maybe even a little scared, but she seemed to be very confident in her decision to offer her blood to him. She was so selfless… forgetting all about her own well-being to help him. She was willing to sacrifice everything… for him._

"_Yuki, how could I ever hate you…"_

Zero suddenly felt his stomach lurch and this mouth began to water. The familiar feeling of nausea hit him, and the burning of bile worked its way to his mouth. He dropped to his knees in front of the trashcan beside his nightstand, Bloody Rose colliding clamorously with the floor as he threw up. Stomach finally feeling a little more stable a few moments later, he wiped his mouth and sat back against the wall feeling rather drained and weak.

Since Zero no longer had Yuki to offer him her blood, he was forced to resort back to using the blood tablets that his body still insisted on rejecting. And since he couldn't keep the pills down, he had lost a considerable amount of weight and he was becoming increasingly pale and famished. He wasn't sure how much longer he could live the way he was. He may have prolonged his fall to level E by drinking Yuki and Kaname's blood in the past, but it was still only a matter of time before the "end" inevitably came for him. Zero had grown accustomed to the ache in his chest, the hunger, and sleepless nights. Every day seemed to be even worse than the last. He wasn't doing well to say the least, mentally or physically.

A knock broke the silence and Zero rose to answer it, forcing himself up off the floor. He pulled the door open to reveal a petite, young human girl with long raven hair and violet eyes.

The girl standing in the doorway was named Ayame. She was from a strong line of vampire hunters, something that she and Zero had in common. Her knowledge of vampire existence allowed her to take Yuki's place as a guardian and a member of the disciplinary committee, therefore she knew about the Night class and what they were. She also knew that Zero was a vampire as well, and she didn't seem to find him scary or intimidating in the least. Normally she had distaste for vampires, but apparently she made an exception for Zero because it was obvious that he hated vampires as much as she did, and he made absolutely no effort to hide it.

While Ayame seemed to have taken over Yuki's duties, Zero on the other hand had quit the "Guardian" nonsense and was no longer on the disciplinary committee. He couldn't bare it; it would only have served as a constant reminder that Yuki was gone. Instead, he devoted most of his time to vampire hunting, using it as an emotional outlet and distraction. He did everything he could to keep his mind on other matters rather than let his self be consumed by his negative thoughts and emotions or dwell on things that couldn't be changed.

Ayame stood rather awkwardly at the door for a minute with a ghost of a blush lightly staining her cheeks and a notebook clutched in her arms while Zero looked at her expectantly, forgetting that he was only in his boxers. Voice temporarily escaping her, she couldn't help but let her eyes wander over his perfectly muscled chest and abdomen, taking note of how his hip bones created an alluring trail leading down to his-

Zero cleared his throat impatiently, successfully bringing her out of her trance. She had been gawking at him much too long for comfort.

"Erm," She started, as if she were suddenly shy, "I… I thought I'd come by to bring you some the notes you've missed throughout the week. You've been absent a lot and I noticed that you left class early today." She offered the notebook to him but he didn't take it, only continued to stare at her, creating another rather awkward silence. "We have a test coming up, you know… The notes would help you study." Ayame mentally kicked herself, realizing that she had just stated the obvious. It was a desperate and pathetic attempt to put an end to the uncomfortable atmosphere between them.

Zero finally took the notebook from her with a quick "thanks" and went to shut the door.

"W-wait," she said frantically as she put her hand up to stop the door before it could shut in her face. "I thought that maybe we could go over the some things that the teacher said would be on the test…" she trailed off a moment before adding, "erm, together." The blush on her cheeks darkened slightly.

Zero sighed heavily. He wasn't in the mood for company. "Look, I know you're just trying to help, but I'm really not in the mood." He moved to shut the door once more, but she stopped it again.

"Please?" She gave him 'the look', the look that no guy had ever been able to resist. She wasn't stupid; She knew she was _very_ attractive. She had quickly mastered the opposite sex at a young age and she knew she could get any guy she desired. Ayame was used to boys getting flustered around her, but Zero however, was different. She could never get the same reactions out of him as the other boys. In fact, he was the only boy to make _her_ flustered. He was a mystery to her; a complicated and challenging puzzle that she wanted desperately to solve.

She simply couldn't understand why he seemed to be the only male to be completely immune to her charm; that alone was enough to make her helplessly infatuated with him. A guy had never captured her interest the way he did. She supposed that it was partially because she was the type of person to want what she couldn't have, but there was more to it than that… For one, he was equally as attractive as she was, if not more, with an effortless and undeniable sex appeal. He had a certain admirable strength and power as well, and even though he was a vampire, they shared a lot in common, including a strong hatred for vampires and the same dedication to vampire hunting. It was true, Zero Kiryu was quickly building a name for himself in the world of vampire hunters; maybe even surpassing the legendary hunter, Kaien Cross himself.

As Ayame had suspected, her charm didn't have any effect on him and Zero didn't hesitate to decline her wishes once more, but that didn't mean she was about to give up.

"Ok, if you don't want to talk about class, what if we talk about something else?" She paused trying to judge his expression but when she couldn't, she added, "Like perhaps vampire hunting?"

Zero sighed heavily once more. "Fine," he said simply in defeat. He didn't much care for her persistence, but he didn't have the energy to keep arguing. He turned from the door without shutting it and laid down on his bed as he had before.

Happy that he gave in, Ayame closed the door behind her and moved to sit on the bed beside him. Glancing around his bedroom, she noticed the vomit in the trashcan and crinkled her nose. "Are you sick? Is that why you've been missing so much class?"

"I thought we were going to talk about vampire hunting," he replied, trying to avoid answering.

"We will," she assured him, "right after you answer my question."

Zero grumbled in frustration. She was so bold and pushy, and much to his displeasure, she seemed to have the ability to brush off and ignore his smart remarks and patronizing glances with effortless ease. He was content with the meek little girls who'd back away at the slightest glare. Otherwise he just found them annoying when they would follow him around or ask him personal questions, both of which this girl seemed to be particularly good at.

Zero sat up to glare at her. "It really isn't any of your business," he snapped in growing irritation. "But if you _have_ to know…" Zero paused and bowed his head as if ashamed of what he was about to say, "I… haven't had proper nourishment in awhile…" If he was lucky, maybe telling her that he was hungry would scare her away.

Confusion appeared on Ayame's pretty face. "Don't you use blood tablets like all the other vampires at Cross Academy? I see you take them all the time."

"I take them, but they don't do much good," he explained, "My body rejects the pills and I end up throwing them up. They only take the edge off for a short period of time." He studied her reaction as he explained and was mildly surprised. The girl was now aware that she was alone in a confined space with a hungry vampire, yet she still showed no signs of fear or wariness. She didn't even appear the slightest bit tense. Maybe she had simply over-looked the implications of his statement and hadn't put two and two together yet. Or maybe she simply wasn't intimidated and blew it off because she was a hunter?

In reality, it was quite the opposite; Ayame was curious and intrigued. It didn't take long before she found herself fantasizing about what it would be like to be bitten by a vampire; or more specifically, if Zero were to bite her. A pleasant shiver ran through her body at the thought. She wouldn't want just any vampire to bite her… They were disgusting, filthy creatures. She wanted _him_ to bite her. She knew he didn't have the power to turn her into a vampire, but she had no desire to be turned. She simply desired to feel his hot, labored breath caress her skin as his sharp fangs sank into her delicate flesh… to get the overwhelming rush of ecstasy as he hungrily took what he wished from her… to feel his hard body pressed firmly against hers… to look into his steely eyes and see smoldering lust burning in them…

Her cheeks, she knew, were flushed. She was so turned on by the idea that she could have begged him right then to take her. Trying to keep herself under control, she did her best to push her fantasy aside and not to reveal how sexually aroused she was.

Managing to compose herself, Ayame replied, "I see. It must be very difficult for you to live that way."

Zero fought the urge to roll his eyes and mutter 'no duh'. Instead, he settled for a slightly nicer response. "I guess..." _If you can even consider vampires as living…_

"So," she began to change the subject, keeping her word to stick to the particular topic, "How many vampires have you killed so far as a vampire hunter?" Her tone was overly optimistic and as casually as she could, Ayame 'innocently' pulled her hair to one side, revealing the smooth, creamy skin of her neck and leaned forward as if eager to hear his response. She hoped to get a reaction out of him. Nothing had worked so far… And she didn't see the harm in teasing.

Zero's whole body visibly tensed at the gesture. As redness seeped into his eyes, he forced himself to turn away. Why would she do that after what he had just told her? Was she really that ignorant or just stupid? His breathing picked up, the burning in his throat increased, and his heart pounded hard against his chest like a wild animal trying to break free. He was trembling as he struggled to get himself under control.

Ayame smiled inwardly. It worked; He wanted her. She had gotten a reaction like she had hoped. Butterflies whirled around her stomach and she was dying with anticipation. But she was soon disappointed when after only a short moment, he seemed to be back to normal again.

"I don't keep track," he answered, but there was still a small, almost undetectable hint of huskiness lingering in his voice.

"Well, I do." Brushing off her slight disappointment, she continued to make conversation, "In fact, I keep a tally in the back of the notebook that I gave you, along with some of my family's vampire hunting techniques and some other neat stuff. Here, I can show you." As Ayame picked up the notebook that had been abandoned carelessly on the nightstand, she started to flip through the pages when an idea suddenly struck her. She tried to conceal the small smile that appeared on her lips.

As she flipped a page of the notebook, she made sure that the edge of it ran across her finger just right, slicing it open. "Ouch!" She cried out, grumbling and cursing in forced aggravation, "Damn, stupid paper cut." Ayame paused a moment before looking up at him. "Do you want the blood? There's no sense in letting it go to waste," she said with false concern, holding her wounded finger out to him.

Zero froze, partially because of the tempting offer and partially at the blood slowly sliding down the length of her finger that he couldn't tear his eyes away from. His lavender eyes flooded crimson again, symptoms returning tenfold. Trying to act quickly, Zero pulled open the drawer of his nightstand and fumbled around in it for the blood tablets that were kept there.

Suddenly, Zero stopped when he noticed something strange; Ayame's blood had a certain… _scent_ to it that disturbed him and definitely caught his attention. It was the smell of strong longing… desire… lust. He knew what the scent was because he had tasted and smelt something similar to it before. Only before, it was in Yuki's blood and this time, he was pretty sure that the yearning was directed towards _him_.

Then realization hit him. Ayame was a vampire hunter; there was no way she could unintentionally be so ignorant and careless around a vampire. She didn't bare her neck to a vampire by chance… or cut her finger and offer her blood to him on accident. She had been intentionally trying to tempt him... manipulate him. She _wanted_ him to bite her. He definitely didn't find her motives cute or funny, to say the least. It was cruel… disrespectful… revolting.

Luckily, Zero's anger was enough to overpower his thirst and distracted him from the blood, at least for the moment. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" He yelled at her.

Ayame's heart skipped a beat at his harshness. She hadn't intended to make him angry with her. She blinked stupidly at him, deciding to play dumb. "Nothing," she replied. "What are you talking about?"

"You know _exactly_ what I'm talking about," He insisted knowingly.

The callousness in his words stung. She averted her gaze and said nothing. That was enough to prove her guilt.

"Get out." He demanded.

Her heart heavy with regret, Ayame set the notebook back on his nightstand and quietly left.

As soon as she was out of sight, he breathed a sigh of relief. Returning to the drawer of his nightstand, he pulled out the small tin of blood tablets and hurriedly swallowed a couple, desperate for the minimal relief they provided.

It sickened him to admit it, but at the moment… he would do _anything_ for real blood; perhaps even kill. Grabbing Bloody Rose from where it had been left on the floor, he clutched it tightly in his lap as he sat on the edge of his bed. If he thought he couldn't control himself any longer… He would have to use it. His hand moved to the blanket on the bed and fisted it desperately.

:;:;:;:

The thunder rumbled menacingly and dark, treacherous clouds flashed, rain pouring violently from the livid heavens.

It was dark when Zero reached his destination, a modest house located in a rather secluded area of town. Apparently a level E vampire had broken into the home in the middle of the night, murdered the small family that lived there, and had been residing in their house.

The vampire had a routine; it would move from house to house, feeding on its inhabitants one by one and taking refuge in their house for awhile before moving on to its next victims. If the vampire wasn't taken care of, it would continue to kill. The vampire landed itself on the hit list and needed to be exterminated immediately. Zero didn't have any more details than that.

Zero pulled his gun and cautiously approached the house, taking the porch stairs two at a time and trying to make as little noise as possible. He opened the front door with one hand, Bloody Rose ready in the other. Zero could already smell the blood and the putrid stench of rotting corpses as he entered the dark house.

There was no one in the foyer and none of the lights were on, but a flickering glow could be seen reflecting on the wall from the top of the staircase to his right. He made his way to the stairs and began to ascend them, careful not to alert his prey of his presence. With every step he took, the thick, metallic scent of blood and rotting grew stronger, he mentally prepared himself for the gruesome scene that might await him.

When he made it to the doorway that was emitting the light, the hunter took cover in the dim, shadowy recess beside the entry, pressing his back to the wall and listening for any sound or movement coming from the room. But there was none; only dead silence met his ears.

After a moment, Zero decided to peer into the room and instantly regretted it. Three shriveled bodies were sprawled out on the floor; a mother, a father, and a small little girl's body. Their faces were sunken and deathly white, their eyes vacant, glazed and bulging. Even their pet dog had been completely sucked dry, its head completely detached from its body. Thick, crimson liquid soaked the carpet in large puddles and splatters of it stained the walls and furniture. The dancing light of the candles placed throughout the room eerily illuminated the ghastly scene in a very disturbing way.

Zero flinched away from the scene and back into the darkness. Nausea overwhelmed him, and he covered his mouth with his arm to muffle his gagging and in attempt to keep himself from vomiting.

It was reasons such as this that he hated vampires so much. They were cruel, cold, and heartless. So many of them were willing to ruthlessly slaughter innocent people and families, even helpless children just to satisfy their sick, selfish thirsts. There were other ways for a vampire to survive without the need to kill humans, but most of them didn't care. Human life meant nothing to them. Of course, level Es were the worst; they were incapable of caring about anything but their next meal.

Regaining his composure to the best of his ability, Zero readied his gun once more. The level E hadn't been in the room, which meant he had to be on guard. The crazed creature could be anywhere and could possibly be aware of his presence. Zero began to search the rest of the house, starting with the other rooms upstairs.

As he cautiously approached another room, slight shuffling and rustling sounds could be heard from the darkness. Zero took one step toward the shadows and suddenly a figure burst from the darkness and knocked him to the ground. The creature snapped at him with its fangs and swiped at him with its claws, snarling and crazed. Struggling to hold it back, one of its clawed hands swiped the side of Zero's face.

Crying out in pain, Zero mustered what little energy he had and thrust the vampire off of him and scrambled to reach his gun which he had lost some point between being knocked off his feet and the struggle.

Recovering from Zero's attack, the level E jumped on him once more, its hair waving around wildly as it thrashed about and whaled on him. Zero pressed the cold metal of his gun into the monster's stomach and before it could react, he pulled the trigger.

:;:;:;:

Back at Cross Academy, Zero wiped the dried blood from his cheek, the scratch marks on his face from earlier already completely healed. He had taken care of the level E quickly and with minimal complications, considering. He was lucky to have come back virtually unscathed. His strength and endurance had been suffering for his malnourishment and lately, even the smallest amount of strenuous activity took too much energy. Drained from his hunt, he felt as if his legs could give out any moment.

The rain continued to pour from the dark heavens and the soft pitter-patter of rain filled the dim, lonely halls. Zero walked solemnly, the only sound breaking the night's silence was his own footsteps on the cold, stone floor. It was nights like these when everyone else in the school was sound asleep or on vacation that Zero would sometimes visit Yuki's old room, despite the intense sharp pang in his chest in doing so.

Her dorm had been left unoccupied since Yuki's old roommate, Yori, had been moved to another room and assigned a new roommate. It was for that reason that Yuki's sweet, intoxicating scent still lingered. He felt closer to her there; it was the only place in the academy that he could still smell her. If it hadn't been for her doom, he probably would have already forgotten it by now. He needed to keep her scent fresh in his mind if he was ever going to hunt her down, or so he told himself to justify his habit of visiting her room.

Zero now stood heavily in front of her bedroom. The smell of her was so strong, it seeped through the cracks of the door, lingering in the air just enough to arouse him. His heart pounded in his chest, and his breath shook. Her scent… the smell and taste of her blood… it had always affected him in such ways, but not usually to _this_ extent. She had been away for so long, he guessed it was almost like having withdraw symptoms. Not to mention he was weak and starving…

Trying to ignore the flood of emotions and his instincts as a vampire, he paused and took a moment to compose himself before reaching for the door knob and twisting it. Once unlatched, the door crept open on its own. The force of her scent hitting him made him shudder, making him feel light-headed and even weaker than he already had.

Taking a deep, shaky breath and swallowing hard, he managed to make his way to her bed, where her scent seemed to be strongest; her smell radiated from it, filling the whole room with her sweetness.

Zero stood awkwardly in front of her bed for a moment as if in a daze. Memories flooded back to him… Zero shut his eyes trying to block them out. Visions of kind smiles, of pouts and blushes, and playful teasing overwhelmed him. He dreamed of short, shiny brown hair and soft skin, and the innocent giggles of a small, fragile girl that he would never see the same way ever again.

He missed her… so much, that it was unbearable.

No, he took that back. He didn't miss _her_… He missed who she used to be. She would never be the same. It killed him inside to see her as a vampire, turned into the one thing he loathed more than anything else in the world. She was never supposed to be like him; she was never supposed to be a vampire. She was… supposed to stay the same innocent mortal girl that he remembered… That's how he would always remember her.

With a heavy breath, Zero shrugged off his wet jacket and let it slid to the floor. Exhausted, vulnerable, and not caring at the moment if anyone found him in her room, he climbed into her neatly-made bed and fell asleep.


End file.
